Filling the Void
by Sir Cameron Dragic
Summary: AU. Working as a bounty hunter for MBI, Minato Sahashi has lived an empty existence. However, when he meets Benitsubasa, his life starts to take a turn for the better. And when Uzume is added to the mix, things are finally looking up for Minato.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

He looked at the picture once, then twice. Shoulder length brown hair in messy bangs with a sole hair sticking out. Red fingerless gloves, pink skirt, white top. Smile on her face for no apparent reason. This was the one.

Gently placing the picture inside of his brown leather jacket, Minato Sahashi adjusted his white shirt, unbuttoning the top two buttons in the event that he would need to move. He shoved his pockets inside of his jeans and began gently pushing through the crowd, eyes on his target.

So far, he had gone unnoticed, which was what he had been looking for with his inconspicuous outfit. It wasn't exactly his preferred style of dress, but it was enough to go out in public unnoticed. He allowed his messy black hair to slightly cover his eyes, as to make it less obvious that he was watching someone.

She was stopped at a street corner now, waiting for the light to change. He noticed that she was shaking a bit, a bad sign because that meant that she was energetic, and if she was energetic, chances were that he was going to have to run.

He inwardly winced. The last run had not been kind to his legs, which were now extremely sore and throbbed with each step that he took. He needed to keep the chase as short as possible.

He noticed that the light had turned and she had begun to cross the street. Intending to catch up, he quickened his steps, but a man in a heavy trench coat bumped into him.

"Hey, watch it!" Minato barked angrily, glaring at the man. He turned back and realized that the light was about to change and that she was already on the other side of the street. If he didn't start running now, he was likely going to lose her for a while.

"And just when I thought I wasn't going to get into a chase." He muttered before he began shoving his way through the crowd, desperately trying to get at the woman, who had remained oblivious to him thus far.

However, the yelling of angry pedestrians and the clacking of his shoes got her attention soon enough and she turned around, quickly zoning in on his face. Immediately, she began tearing through the crowd, trying to create distance between them.

"Hey, get out of the way!" Minato yelled, finally pushing his way to the curb and sprinting across to the other side, not caring about traffic.

Angry drivers slammed down on their brakes before leaning out of their windows to yell at him, but he ignored them as he bulldozed his way through the crowd, gaining ground on her.

She suddenly ducked into an alley and he quickly followed suit.

He glanced around before noticing her figure on the fire escape of an apartment building.

He quickly scampered onto the ladder and, using his strength to pull himself up the rungs, began scaling the fire escape with considerable ease, closing in on the woman.

"Why do they always head for the rooftop?" He muttered to himself as he finally reached the top of the building.

"All right, you've cornered yourself. You have no choice but to give up." He sighed as he approached her. She was on the corner of the building, frantically trying to look for a way off, but finding none.

"No! What about finding my Ashikabi?" She screamed in an urgent tone.

"Calm down. You'll have your chance when you're scheduled to be released with everyone else." He reassured.

Reasoning didn't always work, but it was always his first plan of attack. After all, most Sekirei were logical, if nothing else.

"He's close! I can feel it!" She pleaded, but he ignored her cries, roughly grabbing her by the wrists.

"No!" She screamed, attempting to push him off. From her reaction, he guessed that she was a fist type, although that didn't mean much once he got in contact with her. He could cancel out any Sekirei's power once he got in contact with them, which proved to be an invaluable skill in his line of work.

"Thank God for Seo." He muttered, having learned this ability from his friend and scientist for MBI, Seo. She attempted to punch him, but found herself unable to break Minato's grip.

"But how?" She muttered.

"Look, I've got you caught. Can we just end this without violence?" He asked hopefully, but he received a head butt in reply.

"Okay, guess not." He gasped, having the wind knocked out of him, but still managing to keep his hold on her wrists.

He grabbed her by the collar and flung her to the ground with force, knocking her out on impact as her head met concrete.

He picked her body up with little difficulty and slung her over his shoulder. He didn't like having to knock them out, but it didn't really hurt them at all and it was the only choice when they were being unreasonable.

* * *

"Minato, how's it going?" Natsuo asked as he noticed the man walk into the offices of MBI, an unconscious body slung over the man's shoulder.

"Good, just got another one. I swear, more of them try to run every day." Minato replied, walking across the offices of MBI to the staircase, where some of his friends were gathered.

"Minato, you got another one, huh?" Seo asked, noticing the slumped body on Minato's shoulder.

"You think?" He replied sarcastically before beginning his ascent up the staircase.

"Hey, when you've got time, we should go get a drink on me." Seo said as Minato climbed the flight of stairs.

"Sure thing. I'll come along once I collect." The MBI offices were some of the largest buildings in the entire city, taking up an entire block. On the outside, it was simply a pharmaceutical company, but inside, the real developments weren't being made with medicine, but with Sekirei.

Minato didn't know much about who or what exactly the Sekirei were, only that occasionally they ran away, and that it was his job to recover them when they did. But he supposed that it would be best to keep it that way. His job paid handsomely and he was glad for it. As they said, he shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

He finally reached the top floor, which was the office of MBI's CEO, Minaka Hiroto.

"Hello Minato." The secretary, a young blond woman with short hair pulled back into a bun greeted.

"Is Minaka in?" Minato asked, receiving a nod in response.

"Yes, he should be right inside. I'll call in the recovery team. Just drop the body in that chair." She said, pointing to a wooden chair in the corner.

"Thanks." He responded, dropping the body carelessly in the chair.

"So, how many is that this week?" She asked as he returned from his task.

"It's gotta be four." He replied, knocking on the door.

"They're getting restless, I guess." She remarked.

Minato nodded, "You can say that again."

The door opened to reveal a white haired man with thick glasses.

"Ah! Minato! Returning from a successful mission I see." He greeted with joy, ushering Minato in.

"She tried to run, but I managed to keep the chase short enough." He replied, sitting down in one of Minaka's expensive leather chairs.

"Well, I suppose that they're all itching for some action, especially since the release is coming up in less than a week!" Minaka said, walking over to his desk and pulling out a wad of cash.

"If it gets me more jobs, then I won't complain." Minato replied, gesturing for the money. Just as Minaka was about to hand it to him, he suddenly snatched his hand back.

"You know what? This might be the last job I'll ever have you run before the release." Minaka said wistfully.

"I guess so." Minato realized, leaning back in his chair.

"Minato, I want you to come back here in a day. I might have a new job for you then." Minaka said seriously before handing Minato his pay.

* * *

"Hey Minato, so, how did it go?" Seo asked as he saw his friend exit the MBI building.

"Minaka wants me to come back tomorrow for a new job." Minato replied, stuffing the cash into his pocket.

"Yeah? What do you think the new job's going to be about?" Seo replied, tossing his cigarette on the ground before crushing it with the sole of his shoe.

"I don't know, but as long as it pays like this job does, I won't care." Minato replied, climbing into Seo's car, a customized Mistubishi Lancer Evolution IX that he could only afford due to the large amount of pay that they received from MBI.

"Hang on, I'll only be in there for a minute." Minato said as he rushed into his apartment building. He currently lived in one of the most expensive apartment buildings in all of Tokyo, courtesy of MBI. MBI was ubiquitous, having connections in virtually every business sector, and essentially owned Tokyo in that sense.

Minato was in awe sometimes of the sheer power that one corporation could wield, but then again, it didn't seem so crazy when it was compared to the fact that there were Sekirei running around. Minato didn't know much about them, but with their superhuman abilities and powers, they were not from Earth, that was much for sure.

As he reached his apartment, he fished his keys out from the pocket of his jeans and inserted into the lock, opening up the door.

He made a beeline to his closet, where he removed his leather jacket and white shirt.

He stared at the mirror in his closet, just examining his reflection. He was only about of average height and was on the thin side, although his pale skin bulged with the muscles that were contained underneath, cutting an impressive figure despite that. He slipped on a white dress shirt, carefully buttoning it up while his gray eyes bored into his reflection. When that was done, he knotted a tie, pulling it into place before grabbing a suit out of his closet and pulling on some expensive slacks.

When he had first arrived in Tokyo as a hopeful ronin, he could not have imagined the life he was living now. He had arrived as a skinny eighteen year old with no clear goals except to graduate Tokyo University. However, his hopes were dashed when failed his first entrance exam.

He could remember clearly. He had been disheartened to learn from his mother that he would likely have to stay in Tokyo to study and to retake the entrance exam. Tokyo was so much different than his hometown. It was loud and colorful, while he was used to a quiet and peaceful existence. Tokyo didn't really seem like the place for him.

At least it didn't until he met Seo. The man turned his life around, introducing him to the prospect of bounty hunting, which proved to be extremely lucrative. Initially, he had been reluctant, but Seo had convinced him otherwise.

* * *

"Hey, Minato, let's drink up!" Seo yelled, downing another shot of alcohol while Minato watched in interest. How one man could drink so much was beyond him.

They were currently sitting at the bar of one of the livelier clubs in Tokyo which was owned by MBI. It was one of the clubs with pounding music and strobe lights that bothered Minato's eyes, but he didn't really mind. It was still a fun enough place for him.

"I'm fine." Minato replied, holding his hand up. Normally, he would join in, but for some reason, he felt off tonight.

"Eh, suit yourself." Seo snorted before calling for another shot.

Minato smiled and turned away from the man, who was in a drunken stupor. He noticed a brunette woman approach him with a smoldering smirk on her face.

"Hey handsome, want to dance?" She asked seductively. Minato looked at her with interest. He didn't have a girlfriend, which gave him a lot of options most nights. Being successful would do that for a man.

"Let's just skip ahead to the good part." Minato replied with a smile. He knew what she wanted, and he wasn't going to beat around the bush.

* * *

Minato awoke to sunlight searing his eyes, causing him to recoil in pain. He turned away from the source of the light and stared up at the ceiling. He was in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar place. And not for the first time.

"Hey, you're awake." He turned to see the smiling brunette from the night before. Her face was vaguely familiar to him, although he could not place a name to the face. It didn't matter anyways. He probably wasn't ever going to see her face again.

"Hey to you too." He replied softly before climbing out of her bed to look for his shirt, which seemed to be missing.

"Look, I've got to take a shower. There's some cereal in the cupboard and milk in the fridge." The woman said before walking off to her bathroom.

Finding his shirt draped over a chair, Minato snatched it up and began buttoning it up as quickly as he could before hurriedly grabbing his suit from the floor and walking out the door, but not before redoing his tie.

He was used to the routine by now. It was the same one he would follow most nights after he got paid. He would head over to the club, get drunk, and wake up without any idea where he was. Sometimes, the routine got tiring, but most nights, he just really needed the company of someone other than Seo.

He reached into his pocket and checked his phone. There was one missed call from Seo.

He dialed his friend's number and put the phone up to his ear.

"Hey Minato! So you are alive!" Seo's voice cried out, jarring Minato from his half asleep state.

"Yeah, I just ended up going home with some girl. I'll be at the offices today since Minaka told me to drop by." He replied lethargically.

"All right, see you then!" Seo's voice rang before Minato snapped his phone closed. How Seo could have so much energy in the morning was beyond him.

As he exited the apartment complex, he took a breath of the cold air. Autumn was slowly changing to winter, and the weather was making that much clear.

As he walked towards the large tower in the center of the city that could not be mistaken for anything but MBI Tower, his thoughts began drifting.

For some reason, he felt…empty. As if something was missing from his life.

He shook his head, what was wrong with him? He had a nice apartment, food every night, and a solid paycheck. All in all, it was a good life. So why did he feel so empty?

Maybe it was the fact that, despite all of the upheaval to his life since his failed entrance exam, he still didn't know what he wanted to do with his life. His mother was a pharmacist, and his sister was going to be attending university soon. He was a bounty hunter. It was clear to him at least that they knew what they were doing while he was just floating along, just doing enough to get by.

But it wasn't enough. He wanted something more. He wanted to yearn for something. He wanted a goal to work towards. He wanted to feel important, and being a bounty hunter just wasn't cutting it.

Before he knew it, he was in front of MBI Tower.

Sighing deeply, he pushed open the glass doors and walked inside.

"Morning, Minato." Natsuo greeted from his desk, but Minato ignored him, too caught up in his own thoughts.

Normally, he took the stairs, but today, he just wasn't feeling up to it. Instead, he opted for the elevator, which opened up on the top floor with a ding.

"Good morning Minato. Minaka's just waiting inside." The secretary greeted, and Minato nodded his head in response.

He opened the door to Minaka's office to see not only the CEO himself, but also a pink haired girl dressed in a black kimono sitting impatiently in one of Minaka's seats.

"Minato! Good morning!" Minaka cried out with glee.

"Who's this?" Minato asked in confusion, jabbing a finger at the girl.

"Ah, this is Benitsubasa, number 105." Minaka said proudly, prompting the girl to wave in greeting.

"Okay, what is she doing here?" Minato asked curiously.

Minaka smiled, "This was what I wanted to talk to you about earlier. You see, as a sort of thanks for your hard work thus far, I decided to let you have the honor of winging the first Sekirei that I will release."

"So you're going to be my Ashikabi?" Benitsubasa said to herself, looking over Minato.

"Not bad." She whispered to herself, starting to feel her heart flutter and her temperature rise due to her proximity to the man. She had never felt a sensation like this before. Was this how she was supposed to feel when she was near her Ashikabi?

"Ashikabi?" Minato asked in confusion.

"Ah, I forgot that I never informed you of the finer details about Sekirei. You see, each Sekirei will meet an Ashikabi, who will wing them and use them to compete in the Sekirei Plan. What is the Sekirei Plan, you may ask? Well, I plan to pit Ashikabi against Ashikabi until only one remains standing!" Minaka explained while Minato did his best to take it in.

"All right, and you want me to compete in this plan of yours?" Minato asked.

"Of course! You are one of the select few who actually have the correct genes to become Ashikabi, and I hope you will take advantage of that. I have high hopes for you, please don't let me down." Minaka pleaded.

Minato was skeptical, but he decided to keep listening, "Okay, so let's say I do agree to this plan of yours. What's in it for me?"

"Trust me, the winner will receive a fabulous prize!" Minaka exclaimed, causing Minato to raise his eyebrows in interest.

"All right. So how exactly do I wing a Sekirei?" Minato asked.

"All you need to do is to exchange genetic material with a Sekirei. Or, in other words, you need to kiss me." Benitsubasa answered.

"Consider it done." Minato replied, cupping her cheek and lowering his lips onto hers. As he did so, Benitsubasa felt all of the heat building up in her body suddenly dissipate at the contact of his lips. Immediately, two large wings sprouted from her back, illuminating the room with a magnificent pink hue.

"Interesting." Minaka remarked before writing some notes down as he observed the phenomena.

"Wow, that was amazing." Benitsubasa whispered as Minato removed his lips and looked to Minaka.

"So, is that it?" He asked with cold detachment.

"Yes! Now you and Benitsubasa are linked together indefinitely. You two are free to do whatever you want, but when the time comes, be prepared to fight." Minaka replied happily, having gained more data.

"Wait, don't you have any more jobs for me?" Minato asked.

Holding his hand under his chin, Minaka thought for a moment, "Well, a bounty hunter could be useful. After all, I'll need to account for any variables that may appear…" He mumbled to himself.

Suddenly, an explosion was heard and the room began rocking violently. Acting on pure instinct, Benitsubasa quickly tackled Minato to the ground to prevent debris from falling on him and Minaka immediately pressed a hand to his intercom.

"What's going on down there?" He barked as the rocking subsided.

"Sir! The cages have been opened up! The Sekirei are loose!" Came the reply.

"What? How is that possible?" Minaka asked angrily.

"It seems that Takehito and Seo were planning this the whole time! They're escaping with most of the Sekirei!" The man replied and Minaka slammed a fist against his desk.

"Takehito! You traitor!" He growled in frustration before he looked up at Minato and a devilish smile came over his face.

"No, this is good. This is very good. Minato, I want you to hunt down those two and make them pay for what they've done." Minaka said.

"Wait, you want me to hunt down Seo? But he's my friend!" Minato replied, but Minaka cut him off.

"You wanted a job? Well, now you're getting one. I don't care how or when it gets done. Just make sure you finish the job."

Nodding, Minato took Benitsubasa by the hand. It wasn't the all important or incredible goal he was hoping for, but it was a start.

* * *

**I know that I haven't updated Survival of the Fittest, and I don't know when I'll get around to doing so. Instead, I think that this will act as a sort of reboot for that series, still bringing a serious tone, while focusing entirely on Benitsubasa and Minato. One of the problems I've found with my writing recently is that I devote too much time to too many characters, and as a result, I lose interest in trying to keep several plot lines going at once. I think that, with this story, I'll be able to create a stronger narrative and actually finish the story. **

**Also, just a warning, but Minato will likely be OOC in this story, for the reasons I explained in the story. He won't be the same kindhearted person that he was in the manga and anime, but more cynical and pragmatic as he has lived a considerably different life in Tokyo.**

**I hope that my earlier readers and new readers alike enjoy this story! Please leave any thoughts or ideas you have about this in a review or PM! I would really appreciate any and all feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I know that this update came pretty quickly, but I have a three day tournament coming up and I know that I'm not going to be able to upload for at least a week because of that, so I chose to upload today. Thank you to NIX'S WARDEN for your review. I really appreciate it. I hope the rest of you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 2

Benistubasa could do nothing more than to trail behind Minato as he silently walked along the street. As she did her best to follow along, she observed the world around her in awe. For as long as she could remember, she had spent her life in the MBI Labs, and thus, she had never imagined that the world was so…large.

And the colors, oh the colors! Her world had only been in the clean white of the labs, but now on the outside world, there were signs with vibrant colors everywhere! From what she had remembered from the instructional videos that she had watched, there was so much more! Her head reeled from the thought that the world could be even more spectacular.

Likewise, Minato's head was reeling, but for an entirely different reason.

He had known Seo for little over a year, but he had never once mentioned his intention to break the Sekirei free to him. He felt betrayed, but at the same time, he understood Seo's reasons. After all, being a bounty hunter didn't exactly give him access to the labs, so he probably would not have been any help. But still, a word of warning would have been nice.

Takehito on the other hand, he did not know as well. He did know that the man was Seo's friend and that he was one of the head researchers in the Sekirei department, but beyond that, the man was an enigma. Why did he want to free the Sekirei? Did it have something to do with the Sekirei Plan that Minaka had mentioned earlier?

The fact that he had not been even notified of such a plan made him feel the emptiness that had been plaguing him for so long. This time, it seemed to be mocking him, reminding him that even Seo wasn't truly his friend, and that when it came down to it, he was utterly alone in the world.

He shook his head, trying to make sense of his thoughts. Deciding that he wouldn't be able to think for much longer on an empty stomach, he walked into a diner with Benitsubasa following closely behind.

As they sat down in a booth, Minato buried his head in his hands, trying to understand why Takehito and Seo did what they did and where they might have gone.

"Master, is there really more outside of this?" Benitsubasa asked curiously, inspecting the salt and pepper shakers with interest. In general, she understood how the world outside of the labs worked, but there were still some things foreign to her.

Minato lifted his head out of his hands at those words. He had completely forgotten that she was even with him.

He blinked once, then twice, trying to remember the question.

"Yes, this is just one city. There are thousands more all over the world." He said with a smile as her face lit up in amazement.

"This world is amazing, isn't it, Master?" She remarked, resting her chin on her arms and staring into his eyes. From far away, anyone could mistake them for a couple having lunch together.

At the sound of that word, Minato cringed again.

"Please, don't call me Master. It makes me a bit uncomfortable." Minato pleaded.

"Then what would you like me to call you, Master?" Benitsubasa asked.

"Well, we're not really master and servant. We're more like partners, so call me by my name, Minato."

"Minato." Benitsubasa said slowly, savoring the word as it left her lips.

"So, Benitsubasa, what do you know about the Sekirei Plan?" Minato asked, deciding to see if he could dig up more information about the topic.

"Well, I know that if I win, I will be able to stay with you forever and we will ascend above all the others." She replied dreamily, fantasizing about such an outcome.

"Is that it?" Minato pried.

Benitsubasa smiled, "That's all I need to know. If it means that I can stay with you forever, I will go out and become the strongest Sekirei for your sake."

Minato leaned back and laughed at the comment.

Benitsubasa clenched her fists , "What? Do you think that's dumb or something?"

"No, it's the opposite. To be honest, I've never had anyone say that to me." Minato replied.

He shifted in his seat and his expression suddenly turned more serious, "The truth is, I don't think that I've ever had anyone even care about me. Sure, my mom and sister check on me all the time, but they don't live and die with every choice I make. I've lived here for a year, and I'm only just discovering that I really don't have any true friends. My life has been a string of one night stands and lonely nights. The one comfort I had from time to time was drinking with Seo, but that option is clearly out of the way now."

"Well maybe the problem is that you aren't willing to let anyone care about you." Benitsubasa suggested.

"Maybe." Minato replied, subtly surprised at her suggestion.

Once they had finished with their meal, Minato slapped a couple of bills on the table and led Benitsubasa out of the door.

"So, Benitsubasa, what are your goals in life?" Minato asked.

"Obviously, it's to win the Sekirei Plan and to live with you forever!" She replied decisively.

Minato sighed. He had asked the question, in the hopes that he could insight on his own goals, which were still unclear to him. What exactly was it that he wanted in life?

He felt jealous of Benitsubasa. Sure, her goals were simple, but she seemed so sure in them. That certainty was something that he could only dream of.

"How about you, Minato? What do you want from life?" She asked interestedly.

"I'm not really sure yet. I used to want to just go to university and follow in my mother's footsteps, but now, I don't know. Nothing has really come out to me." He replied.

Benitsubasa looked at him with concern, "Well, maybe you shouldn't wait for life to come to you. You should go out and find a dream for you to achieve."

"How do you know exactly what to say every time?" Minato joked.

"Well, I only want my Ashikabi to be happy. As long as he is unsatisfied, so will I." Benitsubasa declared.

"Don't feel that way. I don't want to trouble you with my concerns." He said sheepishly.

Benitsubasa grabbed onto his arm with urgency, "But we are linked together now. Every emotion you feel, I shall feel as well. It is a part of our bond as Ashikabi and Sekirei."

Minato looked surprised, "Oh is it now?"

"Yes, and I refuse to spend my days unhappily." She declared with certainty.

Minato smiled, "Okay then, I'll cheer up. Don't worry about it. I'm sure that my inspiration will be right around the corner."

As if on cue, the moment that they turned the corner, Minato noticed a commotion in the middle of the street. People were gathered in a large circle in the middle of the street, where several cars lay upturned.

Benitsubasa immediately stepped in front of Minato protectively as they began inching towards the crowd.

"What do you think is going on?" He asked, and he received his answer a moment later as a gray haired woman with claws on her hands flew out of the circle and landed with a thud on the ground next to him. As she stood up, he noticed the same crest on her neck that he had noticed before on Benitsubasa's neck.

There was no doubt about it, this woman was a Sekirei.

"Haihane!" Benitsubasa cried out, and Minato turned to her.

"Do you know her?" He asked, and she nodded in response.

"Benitsubasa! I need your help, please." Haihane begged, noticing her friend.

"All right, I've been waiting for some action anyways." Benitsubasa said with a smile on her face, adjusting her red fingerless gloves.

From the circle appeared a blond woman in a black and white dress riding a stream of water.

"Come back here you heathen!" She cried out firing off a stream of water in their direction. Immediately, Benitsubasa dove to knock Minato out of the way while Haihane jumped above the water, which crashed into some pedestrians instead.

Angrily, Benitsubasa pushed herself off of Minato and faced the woman, ready to attack.

Minato looked closer and realized that they were fighting Tsukiumi, who he knew all too well from his job as a bounty hunter. She was one of the Sekirei who attempted escape the most, and as a result, he was often on the receiving end of her Water Celebration attack.

"You want to violate the rules of battle by adding another opponent to the fray? Fine, I will not show restraint then!" Tsukiumi screamed as she noticed Benitsubasa.

Minato knew that Tsukiumi had rigid ideals, and that she would take Benitsubasa's intrusion as a direct insult to the rules that she strictly adhered to.

"Water Celebration!" Tsukiumi yelled out, firing another stream of water at Haihane, who could not move out of the way this time. The water hit her full force in the chest, sending her flying into a streetlight, which crackled as she made contact with it.

"You'll pay for that!" Benitsubasa screamed, rushing at Tsukiumi, only to find herself blocked by a wall of water. In a rage, she began punching the wall, trying her best to break through, but to no avail.

While Benitsubasa was exerting herself with the prolonged assault, Tsukiumi was hardly breaking a sweat blocking punch after punch with her impenetrable wall.

Minato quickly realized that Benitsubasa would tire before long, especially with the extra effort she was making to try and break through Tsukiumi's defenses. Suddenly, Tsukiumi dropped the wall of water and punched Benitsubasa in the chest with a fist enhanced with a water coating, causing the pink haired Sekirei to fall to the ground in pain.

Sensing her enemy's weakness, Tsukiumi created a ball of water that enveloped Benitsubasa, who began struggling for air as she was suddenly trapped. She began waving her arms in an useless attempt to swim outside of the ball and her eyes began searching around frantically as she felt herself slowly losing consciousness due to the lack of oxygen.

As Minato looked on at his Sekirei being slowly drowned, he suddenly felt rage build up in his body. He picked himself up from the ground urgently and quickly circled around the rear of Tsukiumi, who had focused fully on Benitsubasa. She had left an opening, and he was going to exploit it.

Minato slowly approached Tsukiumi from behind and slammed his hands down on her shoulders, causing her to suddenly collapse to the ground as she felt her power suddenly disappear. Immediately, the ball of water surrounding Benitsubasa dissipated, and she fell to the ground, gasping for air and coughing violently, her lungs trying to force out any water left in her throat.

"What is this? Get your hands off of me, monkey!" She yelled, but Minato knew that she didn't have the strength to force her off.

"Benitsubasa, are you okay?" He asked the panting Sekirei, who wiped some water off of her forehead.

"I'm fine Minato." She responded, causing Tsukiumi to look up at her captor.

"It's you!" She said with widened eyes. With this realization, she tried to reach up at him with renewed intensity, but it was fruitless.

"Tsukiumi, give up. It's pointless to keep struggling." Minato replied calmly, not at all worried by the powerless woman struggling under his grip.

"No! Now that I know that you are an Ashikabi as well, I have even more reason to try and erase your pitiful existence! You truly are the lowest form of existence!" She screamed, trying to get at him.

"Tsukiumi! Come to your senses! Look at what you've done!" Minato yelled in reply, grabbing her head roughly and pointing it to Haihane, who was lying in an unconscious heap on the ground.

"That is a Sekirei who may never get to meet its Ashikabi because of you. You may not have any respect for the Ashikabi themselves, but that doesn't mean that you should take away your fellow Sekirei's chances at happiness." He stated harshly, and he could see her face drop.

He suddenly released his hands and allowed her to stand up.

"You've released me, why is that?" She asked curiously, "You could have forcibly winged me."

"But that would defeat the whole purpose of your existence. And I have no desire to diminish your existence in any way. I know how it feels, being alone in the world. You just need to find the right person, someone who cares about you, and you care about in return. I would be cheating you if I prevented you from doing that." Minato replied.

"Who exactly are you?" Tsukiumi asked before she turned to leave.

"Don't take this to mean anything, but thank you." She stated before summoning a stream of water to carry herself away.

"Minato! You let her get away!" Benitsubasa yelled out incredulously from her prone position on the ground.

"I know. Don't worry about it. That's not my concern right now." Minato replied, removing his suit jacket and offering it to a shivering Benitsubasa before he scooped her up in his arms and began heading in the direction of his home.

"But we could have won the fight!" She argued, but Minato silenced her protests with a kiss to her shaky lips. As he did, two large pink wings released themselves from her lower back and she instantly felt more energized.

"Did that help at all?" Minato asked worriedly.

Benitsubasa nodded, "I do feel a little warmer."

However, a sudden cold gust of wind caused her to tighten her grip on Minato's jacket and wrap it around her body in an attempt to warm herself.

"This isn't good. At this rate, you'll get hypothermia." Minato muttered quickening his pace to a full on run as he noticed Benitsubasa losing consciousness.

"Just try and stay awake!" He yelled at her, shoving through any pedestrians in his way as he raced to his apartment.

"Minato…" She whispered before her eyes closed and the world faded to black, the last sight on her mind being that of Minato's worried face.

* * *

Benittsubasa's eyes snapped open, and she frantically sat up to find herself sitting in a strange bed with only a bathrobe on. The room was designed in a modern style, composed of stark white walls that contrasted with the pitch black wooden floors and furniture. Two lamps on small drawers on each side of the bed illuminated the room in a pale glow, while the glass window that made up one wall of the room allowed for the moonlight to provide additional lighting to the dark room.

She slowly climbed out of the bed to investigate the room more. To the right of the bed, she discovered a glass door that led to the small bathroom, which only had enough room to hold a shower. Anxious to explore more, she walked across the room and slowly opened the door there to reveal a joined living room and dining room. The rest of the building seemed to follow the minimalistic style of the bedroom, with only sparse furniture where necessary.

As she began exploring more, the mouthwatering scent of spices began wafting into the room, causing her to take a deep sniff and sigh in delight. She turned to the source of the smell to see Minato exiting the kitchen, which was directly connected to the dining room through a door. He held a large pot of curry, which he kept a tight grip on with oven mitts to shield his hands. He slowly set it down on the table and lifted the top, releasing even more delectable smells as steam rose up in torrents.

He stepped back, looking proud of his work when he noticed Benitsubasa's presence.

"Benitsubasa, you're awake." He said with a relieved look on his face.

Suddenly, she realized that she had been standing in Minato's apartment the whole time.

"Sorry about the bathrobe, but I don't have any extra clothes for you. I'll take you shopping tomorrow." He stated, returning to the kitchen to grab some bowls and utensils.

"Oh, I wouldn't really mind if he saw my body." She whispered to herself as he returned with the rice cooker in hand.

As he scooped out the rice and ladled a generous amount of curry on top before handing it to her, she giggled a bit at the sight of Minato in an apron and acting like a housewife.

"What's so funny?" He asked pointedly and she responded by gesturing to his clothes. He looked down at his attire and realized why Benitsubasa had seemed so entertained before breaking out into a smile of his own.

He didn't know why, but that little moment made him feel more…alive than he had in weeks. For the longest time, he had been living as a ghost of himself, but for some reason, being around Benitsubasa alleviated some of the emptiness he had felt for so long. He wasn't entirely ready to open up to her, but at the same time, he had allowed her to get closer to him than he had with anyone else.

He sat down and leaned back in his chair, just enjoying the sight of Benitsubasa cutting through a bowl of rice with ease.

"Minato, aren't you going to eat too?" Benitsubasa asked, putting down her spoon.

"I will, I'm just enjoying this moment. For the first time in a long time, I'm feeling something. I don't exactly know what I'm feeling, or why, but I'm glad that I'm feeling something. It's refreshing." He reassured, and he saw Benitsubasa smile. As she did, he suddenly felt a warmth in his chest that he had not felt before.

Was it the connection that Benitsubasa had told him about earlier?

Regardless of what it was, it was a welcome feeling that Minato wanted to relive again and again. He still wasn't sure what he wanted to do with his life, but at least he was feeling something.

In his old life, he would spend night after night in the club, just hoping that somewhere in the flurry of lights, music and alcohol, he would find something to ease the loneliness and emptiness of his life. He supposed that part of the problem stemmed from his job. Being a bounty hunter wasn't the most social occupation in the world.

To be able to hunt down others without remorse required one to shut down emotional attachments. He had found that, when it came to bounty hunting, the less emotion, the better. Emotion clouded your judgment, and caused stupid mistakes, all things he had wanted to avoid.

He supposed that along the way, not only had he shut down his attachments, but he had forgotten how to feel as well.

But then, he thought back to the fight against Tsukiumi. When he had seen Benitsubasa, wide eyed and scared for her life, he had felt scared too. Scared that he was going to lose the one person who was actually connected with him. He had lived life alone for too long, and he was scared of going back to what he was before. Fear wasn't what he had hoped for, but it was better than nothing.

Maybe that was his goal then. Maybe all he needed from life was to find someone who truly cared about him and that he could care about in return. He didn't need any sort of tangible benefit, just the feeling of being accepted.

Being an Ashikabi could do that for him. In his past life, he was rejected for being a failure, but now, in the Sekirei Plan, he was special. He was an Ashikabi, something that very few people were. He was exceptional, and soon enough, people would recognize that of him.

Maybe the Sekirei Plan was just what he needed.

* * *

**I know that I stated that I wanted to have strictly Minato and Benitsubasa in this story, but, after writing this chapter, I feel as if one more Sekirei couldn't really hurt, as I may end up rehashing the same emotions if I stuck strictly to Benitsubasa and Minato as the main characters, so I would like to know, who do you guys believe Minato should wing? I'm really looking to make this story about the characters and narrative, not the events that make up the Sekirei Plan, so I'm really looking for Sekirei that have a lot of depth or are unclear enough so that I can add in a narrative of their own. It is the character that matters in this story, not any sort of abilities. **

******Please leave any thoughts or ideas you have about this in a review or PM! I would really appreciate any and all feedback!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I was not planning on releasing this chapter just yet, but I just found myself really inspired to write this chapter. I have a huge amount of homework due when I get back, and I still wrote! I guess that focusing on two characters and one singular storyline has done wonders for me. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 3

Minato's eyes fluttered open after the first night of peaceful sleep he had in a long time. He slowly sat up and stretched his arms out, feeling the blood flow through his body. As he slumped back down, he noticed that the left side of his bed, where Benitsubasa had slept last night, was empty. Besides that, he noticed that his curtains were drawn, which he didn't remember doing last night. He groggily climbed out of bed, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as he did so.

He glanced at his alarm clock, which had not gone off yet and reached over to turn off the alarm beforehand, not wanting it to surprise him by suddenly going off. It read 7:00, which was an hour earlier than when he normally awoke. For some reason, he just felt more energized than he normally did, and he had slept without nightmares or restlessness, which relieved him greatly.

He wondered what exactly had caused such a change overnight. Was it becoming Benitsubasa's Ashikabi? She had told him before that they were connected and that they shared a bond that could not be easily broken. Maybe she slept easily at night. He imagined she did, since she was so full of certainty and her goals seemed so clear to her.

She knew exactly what she wanted out of life, and wasn't afraid to go after what she wanted. It was as admirable as it was simplistic. Maybe some of that had seeped into him through their bond, although he wasn't really feeling anything of the sort yet.

Still, he had gotten a good night's sleep, and he wasn't going to complain about that.

With some difficulty, he lifted himself up and off of his bed, feeling his legs loosen up. They had gotten better after some rest, but they were still somewhat sore and still pained him when he tried to walk too much.

Striding over to his closet, he grabbed a white t shirt to cover up his bare chest and a pair of black sweatpants to cover up his boxers.

He opened up the door of his room to be greeted with the sight of Benitsubasa in one of his old t-shirts and an oversized pair of his shorts, vigorously doing push-ups in the middle of his living room. Her pink hair, held in place by her omnipresent daisy clips, bobbed up and down from the speed at which she was moving. She was breathing hard as she rapidly lifted her body up and down, sweat running down her face and eyes focused straight ahead.

"Benitsubasa, are you really doing this so early in the morning?" Minato asked, causing Benitsubasa to look up at him and fall flat on her face in surprise.

"Sorry, it's just that, after what happened yesterday with Tsukiumi, I learned that I'm not strong enough. So I've decided to train twice as hard, so that I can still become the strongest." Benitsubasa stated as she picked herself up.

"Well, I appreciate that." Minato said, tossing a grateful Benitsubasa a loose towel before walking over to the kitchen to pour a glass of water.

He walked into the kitchen and he smiled as the door closed. It felt good to know that someone cared about him like that. Even though he knew it was probably just her Sekirei duty or something, it still felt nice that she was going to go the extra distance for him. It made him feel wanted, and he appreciated that.

Sure, all of the women he had slept with wanted him, but not in the same way. They didn't want him because of his personality, or any emotional attachment. They only wanted him for their own physical pleasure. With Benitsubasa, it was different. They had an emotional attachment, obligatory as it was. But she didn't have to work so hard for him, and he was glad that she did.

He reached into his refrigerator to grab a jug of water, the warmth that he was feeling internally countering the chilly air circulating through the fridge.

Returning with the water, he watched in interest as she downed the entire jug in one gulp, reminding him once again that she was not quite human.

"All right, then, get dressed, we're going shopping." Minato said, returning to his room to put on some clothes.

As he slipped on a blue jacket and jeans to go along with the white t shirt he was already wearing, he couldn't help thinking about Benitsubasa drinking water.

It made him realize that he had still not made a real connection with a human, only with an alien. Somehow, it diminished the moment, as much as he didn't want to admit that it did.

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He quickly pulled out his phone and placed it up next to his ear.

"Hello?" He asked, receiving no reply at first.

"Minato? It's me, we need to talk." A gruff voice that Minato recognized immediately responded.

Minato nodded his head, even though he knew that no one could see him, "I agree."

"All right, I'm staying at a place called Izumo Inn. It's in the northern section of the city. Can you come here to talk?" The voice asked.

"Sure thing, Seo."

* * *

Minato carefully read the sign in front of him.

"Izumo Inn. 50.000 yen per month for a room. MBI cards not accepted." He read aloud. He looked up at the inn itself, which was a normal looking Japanese house with two stories. If he had been trying to stay inconspicuous, Seo had certainly hit the jackpot.

"This looks like the place." Minato stated, walking up to the front door. Meanwhile, Benitsubasa stood a good distance away and watched him with concern.

Noticing that she was not following, Minato turned towards the pink haired Sekirei.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She shook her head and ran up to his side, "Sorry, I just suddenly felt a powerful aura coming from this place. There are Sekirei here, and they are powerful."

Taking in the information, Minato approached the front door with a new sense of caution.

He tentatively knocked on the door, once, then twice.

He heard the shuffling of feet and was instantly on alert, ready to face what was behind the door. After all, if even Benitsubasa could sense its power, there was no telling what was behind the door. Instinctively, Benitsubasa looped her arm around his and squeezed tightly.

The footsteps got closer and closer as Minato and Benitsubasa lay in waiting. Little by little, they could hear the footsteps get progressively louder and then suddenly, they stopped. After an agonizing moment of silence, Minato saw the doorknob wobble and slowly turn until it had shifted ninety degrees. Slowly, the door was pulled back to reveal a normal looking woman with dark blue hair, dressed like a traditional Japanese woman.

"This is it." Benitsubasa whispered in Minato's ear, "The aura is from her."

"Oh hello! You must be the visitor Seo and Takehito were expecting. Please, feel free to come in." The woman greeted cheerfully, stepping aside to allow them entrance.

"Thank you." Minato responded, bowing in respect and Benitsubasa quickly followed his example.

They stepped inside the entrance, and Minato could see nothing out of the ordinary. From top to bottom, it seemed to be a completely normal house.

"Minato!" He turned to his left to see Seo lounging on his back at a dining table while a white haired man that he recognized as Takehito sat across from him, drinking his tea.

"Seo, Takehito." Minato responded, nodding at the white haired man.

"Minato! Take a seat next to us with your lady friend." Seo yelled out, leading to Miya to glare at him.

"Watch your volume, trash." She said in a sweet tone before she took a seat next to Takehito.

Minato obliged Seo's request, sitting in between him and Takehito with Benitsubasa by his side, still gripping his arm tightly. The white haired man, who Minato was surprised to see out of his lab coat and instead, in a traditional kimono, turned to him and set down his tea.

"So, I assume that you know why Seo called you here?" Takehito asked, to which Minato shook his head.

"All right, then I'll tell you myself. I freed the Sekirei with Seo's help, although I'm sure you know that. Do you know why I did it?" He said with a questioning look on his face.

"Sorry, I have no idea." Minato replied cooly.

"Well, I'll tell you why. Minaka is insane." He stated frankly, "He wanted to use the Sekirei for his own entertainment. Can you believe it? All of the possibilities for creatures as advanced as the Sekirei are, and he wanted them as nothing more than his personal playthings. Do you agree with that?"

Minato scratched the back of his head, "Well, it isn't really my place to question him, but I guess I wouldn't."

"Look at who is beside you." Takehito ordered, and Minato looked at Benitsubasa, "Number 105, Benitsubasa." He stated, startling her.

"Y-yes?" She asked fearfully.

"Tell me, what do you think of Minato?" Takehito asked interestedly.

She looked up at Minato with an embarrassed look on her face, "Well, I would say that I love him. He is my Ashikabi, and I am glad that Minato was the one who winged me."

Takehito snapped his fingers, catching Minato's attention.

"See there? They have the capacity to love, just like us. Beyond that, they feel joy, sadness, embarrassment, jealousy. All of the emotions that make us human, they have. How can we turn them into killing machines, when they are just like us? Tell me, how do you feel about her?"

Minato remained silent for a second. How did he feel about her? She was the one who made him feel less lonely when no one else could, and they were bonded together, whether they liked it or not, so he had no choice but to care for her.

"I-I care about her. She means more to me than anyone else could, bond or not." He stated with finality, something he had not done for a long time. His life had been filled with uncertainty, but the truth was, no matter what, the one certainty in his life was that he cared for her.

Benitsubasa looked up at him in amazement, and couldn't help feeling like she was in heaven at his words. To her, his approval was all that she needed to know that she would do anything for him.

Takehito slammed his hand down on the table, "Do you see? This is the same bond that 107 other Sekirei will have with their Ashikabi. Why should we take away something so powerful for sport and entertainment? That is why I did what I did. And that is why I hope that you will see things from our point of view."

"What Takehito is trying to say is that he wants you to join us." Seo interrupted, and Minato inexplicably found himself nodding in agreement.

"I can see what you are saying, and I want to say that I agree. However, I don't know how you expect me to help." Minato asked in confusion.

"Simple, we just want your help in making sure that every Sekirei gets to their fated Ashikabi. Every Sekirei deserves a chance at happiness, and I know that you can ensure that." Takehito said, extending his hand.

"Do we have a deal?" He asked, and Minato nodded, taking his hand.

"Yes, yes we do."

* * *

Minato placed his hands in his pockets as he stepped up to the entrance of the department store with Benitsubasa right at his side and in his mind. He could not stop thinking about the revelation that had overcome him at Izumo Inn. The truth was that, in only a few short days, he had grown to care about her, and she for him. It seemed so improbable, yet there it was, staring him in the face.

He shook his head, trying to put the thoughts out of his mind. He currently had more pressing concerns that he had to deal with right now.

It was winter and most people were bundled up heavily, while Benitsubasa only wore a kimono, which would be insufficient to anyone other than a Sekirei. As they walked in, he noticed people staring at Benitsubasa's strange attire and sighed to himself.

He really needed to get her some new clothes.

"Minato, so does this mean that we are going to fight against MBI?" Benitsubasa asked, breaking the silence that had plagued them since they left Izumo Inn with the promise to return shortly.

Minato shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know what it means, but I can guarantee that we'll probably find our answer soon."

They walked into the store and immediately, Benitsubasa's eyes lit up at the sight in front of her. She had read about the things called department stores before in the labs, but she had never imagined that it would be so incredible in real life. It was awe inspiring yet strange and foreign at the same time, leading her to tightly grip onto Minato's arm as he led her to the women's clothing section.

"Say, Benitsubasa, don't you get tired of people staring at you?" Minato asked curiously, as she seemed to be oblivious to the looks that people were giving her, probably thinking that she was a cosplayer.

"No, not at all." She replied, in awe over the endless racks of clothes in every direction.

"But doesn't it make you feel like you stand out?" Minato asked, leading her to a rack of dresses, which she began to inspect with glee.

She picked up a black dress and began feeling the material before looking confused, "Isn't it better to stand out than to fit in? Why would you want to be ordinary for?"

"Well, don't you want people to accept you?" Minato asked.

In his opinion, that had to be the most important thing, right? After all, he had been an outcast for so long, and all he longed for was acceptance, or at least, that's what he thought he wanted.

"To hell what people think. What matters is if I accept myself, and I won't accept myself as anything less than exceptional." Benitsubasa replied with frustration evident on her face.

Minato's eyebrows arched at her response, "Is something bothering you? You seem upset."

Benitsubasa put down the dress and looked down at the ground, "Well, the truth is, I was originally going to be a member of the Discipline Squad. But they said that I wasn't good enough and had me replaced."

"Is that why Minaka let me wing you?" Minato questioned, receiving a nod in reply.

"But don't think that you're getting a failure! I didn't want to be the same as them anyways! I'll become the strongest Sekirei, and I'll prove that they were wrong!" She yelled, receiving stares.

Minato shook his head, "I don't think that at all. I know how you feel. I failed my entrance exams for university, but I still ended up better than any of my friends who are in university right now. They're probably cooped up in some classroom, and I'm out in the world. They'll probably get some dead end job in an office, and I'll win the Sekirei Plan and save all of the Sekirei who deserve to be saved."

"You really think we'll succeed?" Benitsubasa asked softly. She had always told herself that she was going to win, but deep down, she had always doubted that a little. But with Minato's apparent confidence, for some reason, she felt more confident as well.

"Yes, we'll succeed, and prove to everyone that we are special. We don't need to fit in, we need to stand out!" Benitsubasa said, confidence oozing out of every pore of her body now.

Minato couldn't help the laugh that came to him at that moment. It felt natural, and for a moment, he forgot all about the emptiness in his heart, just enjoying the moment with Benitsubasa. He knew in that moment, that it was clear. He cared about her, and that was that. Fitting into society didn't matter, nor did getting approval from anybody but her.

The only person that he would ever have to impress would be himself, because he knew that, no matter what, someone would be caring for him, and that someone was Benitsubasa. They were linked, even without the bond that they shared as Ashikabi and Sekirei. They both had something to prove, and they would prove it together. At that, it felt like a large burden had suddenly been lifted from his shoulders and he felt a million times lighter.

At the same time, Benitsubasa broke out in a smile as well, feeling relieved that Minato had not been disappointed in her. Instead, he had put his faith in her, and she resolved to prove him right.

They were freaks and outcasts to most of society, but that was okay, because they were outcasts who had found each other. Although their meeting was arranged by Minaka, she couldn't help feeling in this moment that it had all been fate, as Takehito had said, and that they were always meant to be together, Ashikabi and Sekirei, partner and partner, freak and freak.

* * *

Benitsubasa groggily climbed out of bed at her usual wake up time, which was an hour earlier than Minato and gave her time to get an early workout in. Still, the extra training was taking a toll on her, and it took a few minutes for her to truly wake up.

She dragged her feet to the closet, which was filled with the clothes that she had bought yesterday. Through her experiences at the department store, she had discovered one of the things that she loved almost as much as she loved Minato, shopping.

She put on some workout clothes that she had bought yesterday, admiring how they complimented her figure. Glancing at the clock, she noticed that she had already wasted five minutes, and with urgency, she jogged to the door. After her conversation with Minato yesterday, she was even more committed to becoming the strongest Sekirei ever.

She gently pushed open the door, so as not to disturb Minato, but she was met with a surprising sight.

Minato was already in the living room, vigorously doing sit ups in the middle of his living room.

"Minato!" She cried out in surprise.

"Good morning Benitsubasa." He greeted, using his stomach muscles to pull himself up and down.

"What are you doing?" She asked, shocked by his presence.

"You said it yourself, we're going to succeed and prove to everyone that we are special. So that means that we're in it together, and I refuse to be the weak link." He stated, refusing to stop for even a moment.

With a smile on her face, Benitsubasa nodded, "All right, then let's work together."

She got down on her back and began following Minato's lead, pulling herself up and down in perfect rhythm with him. She stared at his focused face, and smiled slightly.

How could so much have changed in the last few days? Just a few days ago, she had been sitting in MBI Tower, wondering if she would ever get to see her true Ashikabi, and beating herself over the fact that she had been kicked off of the Discipline Squad.

But meeting him had changed everything. He had formed a bond with her, one that would never be broken so long as she was breathing. She would do anything to stay with him, and as they had both said, they were going to succeed. They would show everyone just how wrong they were for losing faith in them, and make them regret ever thinking that they were failures. They would become the strongest team the world had ever seen, and they would prove themselves to everyone.

They would not fail, they could not fail. They were meant to be together, and to ascend above all others.

* * *

**After a revelation like Minato and Benitsubasa just had, I have to say that it makes getting a third character in the picture that much harder for me to visualize right now. But, at the same time, I can still also see the potential that adding a third dynamic could bring to this story, since we still have along way to go, so I'm still sticking to my plan of giving Minato maybe one more Sekirei. I really appreciate the suggestions I've already gotten, and I'll humbly ask you to keep them coming. I really think that you guys have some really interesting ideas, and I would like to hear them all! **

******Please leave any thoughts or ideas you have about this in a review or PM! I would really appreciate any and all feedback!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry the update took so long, but hey, I got it eventually. So please, enjoy the continuation of Filling the Void.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Benitsubasa flexed her fingers in anticipation as she faced her opponent and took a deep breath, knowing that it would take all of her efforts to win this battle. Her clothes were tattered and sweat covered her forehead, the result of her earlier skirmish. She had come at her repeatedly with everything she had, and each time, she found herself being beat back harder and harder. But still, she had to keep going, she just had to.

With a cry, she rushed forward, fists flying in every direction as she attempted to wear her opponent down. As one punch landed, she was immediately up in the air, delivering another one. Within seconds, she was just an unstoppable flurry of punches and kicks that would have killed any normal opponent.

However, nothing she seemed to do could get through. In frustration, she doubled her efforts, her body a blur as she tried to find an opening. She knew that she was sacrificing her stamina and leaving herself open to attack, but she didn't see any other choice if she wanted to beat the woman in front of her. It was all or nothing at this point.

Even still, she could not break through, and in one final move of desperation, she brought her body back to deliver a powerful punch. As she brought her body through to follow through on her punch, her opponent immediately dodged to the left and pounded her back with a wooden sword, smashing Benitsubasa into the ground, face down.

"You're too impatient." Miya scolded, bringing her sword up again to smack Benitsubasa's head.

"Ow! That hurt you old hag!" Benitsubasa growled as she nursed the bruise on her head, earning her another bruise.

"Now now, I'm just a youthful landlady, isn't that right?" She asked with a tone that seemed too friendly to be true.

"Yes, of course!" Benitsubasa replied quickly, not wanting to face Miya's wrath again.

She bounced up and got to her feet before returning to her starting position.

"Now this time, try to be more patient and stay in control. The only way to beat a strong opponent is to wear them down and to look for openings. You have to allow your motions to flow into one another without wearing yourself down. Now, again!" Miya instructed.

* * *

Minato cringed as he saw Benitsubasa fall flat on her face again and receive a sword on the head in return.

"Don't worry Minato, Miya won't kill her. She knows what she's doing." Seo reassured, just as Miya dodged another punch and sent Benitsubasa to the ground, giggling as she did so.

"So, Takehito, what is it that you want me to do?" Minato asked, turning his attention back to the other man.

"I know that you were a bounty hunter, and a fine one at that. So I have a job that should fit your skills well." Takehito responded, handing Minato a piece of paper. On it was a picture of a man with short brown hair with some other lines of information about the man, whose name was Tanigawa.

"I want you to find this man, and eliminate him any way you know how." Takehito said as Minato read over the details on the paper.

"What for?" Minato asked, not seeing anything wrong with the man.

Takehito's eyes hardened, "At MBI, we managed to compile a complete list of every possible Ashikabi in Tokyo by geographical location. I used the list and gathered as much information about each candidate as I could before we started the break out. From the information I gathered, I also managed to get a sense of each candidate's character, and I created a list of my own of those who would make inadequate Ashikabi. While I don't want to interfere with fate, there are times when fate needs a little help."

"So you're saying that you plan to orchestrate the results of the Sekirei Plan?" Minato asked.

Takehito lifted his hands up and shook his head, "Not at all, but I do want to prevent as many Sekirei as I can from being treated poorly, and I believe that if we eliminate those on this list from participation, we will ultimately let the Sekirei live better lives."

"Are you saying that you want us to kill them?" Minato said with a shocked expression. As a bounty hunter of Sekirei, he often had to use force, but at the same time, he had never had to kill anyone before.

Takehito sighed, "If necessary, yes. But I would like to avoid as many casualties as possible."

"I don't know, it still doesn't feel entirely right to me." Minato said worriedly.

"I won't force you to do it, but think about it, do you really want thugs and criminals to possess Sekirei? Chances are, those Sekirei will live lives filled with abuse if they do. So tell me, is it really wrong to push them in the right direction by removing the bad choices?"

"When you put it that way, I suppose not…" Minato replied, seeing Takehito's reasoning, as much as he was uneasy about it.

"Then it's decided." Takehito said happily, clapping his hands together.

"This still doesn't feel exactly right." Minato lamented.

Seo frowned, "Not everything we do is always 100% clean, but the ends justify the means in this case. Just trust us."

Nodding, Minato stood up, the paper in hand.

* * *

"So, this is the man?" Benitsubasa asked as Minato led her through a crowd, shoving past several pedestrians.

They were both dressed as normal citizens, Minato in a white t shirt paired with a blue jacket and jeans while Benitsubasa wore a heavy black coat, paired with a pink scarf wrapped tightly around her neck.

"Yes." Minato responded, still sliding through the waves of people with a relaxed and easy pace.

"Well, shouldn't we go after him?" Benitsubasa asked as she followed along impatiently.

"Look, in this business, it is the quiet and unnoticed who are successful. If we make a big scene, no doubt, he will escape us easily." Minato replied, trying to impart some of his knowledge. He knew that it was likely not within Benitsubasa to be subtle, but if he wanted to succeed in his operation, he had to try his best to contain her.

"Well, he's stopping at that building there. How are we going to get to him unnoticed in a closed space?" Benitsubasa questioned.

"We'll have to analyze the situation, and adapt as best as we can." Minato replied, opening the door to the bar that Tanigawa had entered.

The room was musty and filled with the stench of cigarette smoke, making Benitsubasa crinkle her nose in disgust immediately. The bar was dimly lit by a few stray light bulbs that were swarmed with flies and didn't possess any windows, giving the entire room a harsh and oppressive vibe.

The bar itself was a cheap wooden counter flanked by several crowded pool tables and dart boards, with some small tables scattered throughout.

"All right, I see him right now in my sights." Minato informed Benitsubasa.

"All right, let me go ahead and deal with him quietly. Be prepared to clear a path for me if worst comes to worst." He whispered before he placed his right hand in his pocket, where he was concealing a knife.

Meanwhile, Benitsubasa found herself a wall to lean against as she observed the bar. She had never been inside one, although she had seen Kazehana drink alcohol quite a few times, so she wasn't entirely unfamiliar to the concept. Still, it disgusted her to know that humans willingly spent time in these establishments.

At least in this case, she found the room to be revolting and could not find herself wanting to spend any time at all near a bar.

"Hey, babe. You looking for someone to buy you a drink?" A large man in a leather jacket and slicked up hair asked Benitsubasa, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Not at all, I'm just here with Minato." Benitsubasa said disinterestedly, pointing a finger at her Ashikabi.

Laughing, the man shook his head, "You're here with that little wimp? Why don't you come with me, and show you what a real man's all about?"

Benitsubasa suddenly snapped her head at the man at that comment with fire in her eyes. It was one thing for him to bother her, but to insult her Ashikabi was unforgivable.

"Don't talk about Minato like that!" She yelled in response, quickly grabbing the man's wrist and flipping him over her back, tossing him to the ground like a rag doll, with absolutely no concern for property damage.

At the commotion, the bar instantly silenced and all eyes fell to Benitsubasa.

Immediately, two men in a similar style of dress got up from their seats and strode over menacingly to her. However, in the face of danger, she made no move to back down.

Slowly, all of the patrons of the bar stood up from their seats and surrounded the three figures in the middle, forming a circle around them.

Minato sighed at Benitsubasa's lack of restraint and began searching for Tanigawa, still looking for a discreet way to eliminate him.

"Say, did you do that to our friend?" One of the men asked, barely containing his anger.

"So what if I did? He insulted my Ashikabi." Benitsubasa replied defiantly.

"What? You must be on drugs or something. We'll just have to teach you a lesson then." The other man remarked, crackling his knuckles.

"I would like to see you try." Benitsubasa replied confidently, eager to practice her skills on live targets other than Miya.

One of the men yelled and swung wildly at her. Immediately, she sidestepped and delivered a powerful kick into his side, causing the man to yell out in pain and for several of the patrons to cheer in entertainment.

The other man appeared to be on the defensive, unlike his partner, and remained in a solid stance while Benitsubasa began to focus her attention on him. She began with one punch delivered straight into the man's upright arms, causing them to buckle a bit under the force of the first strike. Immediately following that, she spun her body, delivering a spinning kick into the same arms, pushing them aside with the strength of the attack.

Abandoning the defensive, the man charged forward at her and rammed his head into her chest before lifting her up into the air and tossing her to the ground.

Also recovering from Benitsubasa's earlier kick, the other man reached behind her and dragged her to her feet, arms firmly locked around hers, preventing her from moving.

With a smirk of delight, his partner approached a helpless Benitsubasa, hoping to take advantage of her situation.

However, just as he reached his arm back to strike at her, she suddenly pushed off her feet and manipulated herself in the air so that she could land behind her restrainer, causing him to lose his grip.

Faced with the man's vulnerable spot, Benitsubasa delivered an earth shattering punch into his back, sending the man flying into his friend. Satisfied with her work, she stretched out her neck nonchalantly as the two men crashed into the ground in a helpless pile.

At this, the crowd erupted into gasps of awe and admiration of the seemingly helpless woman who just fought off three men.

Minato saw his chance as the delirious crowd mobbed around Benitsubasa, who was soaking up the attention.

Tanigawa was on the outskirts of the crowd, back facing Minato. It was a perfect opportunity.

With a deep sigh, Minato shuffled over to the man, fingering his knife in his pocket. This was it, the dreaded moment. There was no going back now, if he did this. He would be crossing a line that he wouldn't be able to return to. If he did this, any sort of innocence left in him would be gone along with this man's life.

"My innocence is already gone." Minato lamented before he pulled out the knife noticing a small glint that came from the reflection of the light of one of the nearby lamps.

With a slight pause of hesitation, Minato's face hardened, and he plunged the knife deep into the man's back, flesh giving way to the metal like tissue paper. He had pre-planned the strike so that it would land somewhere around the man's lungs, which would do him in before he could receive any sort of medical attention. Before the man had a chance to even scream out in pain, Minato had retracted his knife and was already fighting through the bar patrons.

"Benitsubasa, let's get out of here." Minato told the pink haired Sekirei before clasping her hand and leading her out of the door with a sense of urgency. Just as they opened the door to leave, he heard a shout, indicating that someone had noticed Tanigawa's wound.

* * *

"Very good. I have heard from my contacts that you have finished the deed." Takehito said as Minato walked in the front door, hands stuffed deep inside his pockets.

"Yes. Tanigawa is dead. The paramedics will arrive, but he should bleed out long before they do." Minato said coldly while Seo gave him a worried glance.

"Minato, are you okay?" Seo asked with concern.

"I'm fine." Minato replied a little too quickly, before he reached a hand out of his pocket. He placed his closed fist over the dinner table before opening it, allowing the still bloody knife to clang onto the wood, sending small specks of red flying.

Without a word, Minato turned around and began walking up the stairs, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone else.

Angry at the move, Miya stood up to admonish Minato, but instead, found a hand belonging to Takehito holding her back.

"Did you just see what he did?" Miya asked angrily, but Takehito shook his head.

"Leave him. He'll figure things out on his own."

* * *

Minato stared blankly at his hands. He had killed someone. He had actually killed someone. He had sworn never to cross that line, but in the moment, he was so angry, and they seemed so weak. He barely registered the wind that was blowing full force into his face. If anything, it was simply making him numb to the world around him.

He felt empty, to say the least. As if a part of him had died as he had stabbed his knife.

"Hey." His head snapped up to see Benitsubasa taking a seat next to him, allowing her legs to dangle over the edge of the building like they usually did. Part of him envied her for being able to sit down so calmly after he had killed someone. But part of him was also scared. Scared that one day, he would be at that point, and looking at someone the way that Benistubasa was looking at him, puzzled by his anxiety.

"So what's got you bothered?" Benitsubasa asked from her seat next to him on the roof of Izumo Inn.

"I just killed someone! How can I not be bothered?" Minato asked frantically, clawing at his hair.

"You did what you had to do, right? Takehito did say that by doing this, we just saved a Sekirei from a life of mistreatment." Benitsubasa said, trying to reassure him.

"Still, it doesn't seem right. That we should be the ones deciding who gets to be an Ashikbai or not." Minato replied tersely, ashamed to face her.

"You are a hero, Minato for doing this. I won't allow my Ashikabi to think otherwise!" Benitsubasa shouted at him, standing up.

"You were the one who stood strong for me when I revealed my past. I really thought that you would be disappointed in me for being a failure, but you proved me wrong. Instead, you accepted me for who I was. You said it yourself, that we would win the Sekirei Plan and save all those who deserve to be saved!"

Mesmerized by her impassioned speaking, Minato could only look up at Benitsubasa in amazement before looking back down at his hands. As he began to think about her words, he couldn't help the smile that overcame his face.

"I did say that, didn't I? Then I guess I don't have much of a choice." Minato said, not truly believing his own words, but at the same time, not wanting to trouble Benitsubasa much more.

Expecting Benitsubasa to leave at that, Minato stared out at the nightscape of Tokyo, dazzling lights twinkling in the especially busy sections of the city while the rest of Tokyo was largely enveloped by a darkness not dissimilar to his own current feelings.

"Minato, please don't try and push me away. I know you were lying back there. It's our bond. I can tell when you're lying and when you're being honest with me, and I know that you were lying back there." Benitsubasa said sternly as she wrapped her arms around his body and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Please Minato, just let me try and help you. I know that it isn't easy, but I want you to know that I'll be here for you every step of the way."

"I'm sorry for lying. I just don't want you to worry about me too much. You have enough to worry about." Minato replied, smiling sadly.

"No, I don't. You're my Ashikabi. My life is invariably tied into yours. Any concern of yours is a concern of mine." Benitsubasa retorted with a serious expression on her face.

Minato sighed. She really was stubborn. However, part of him envied that. To be able to believe in oneself enough to act that way, it was something that he could only wish of achieving.

He doubted that she even knew what she was saying. Being raised to be a fighting machine, she probably didn't know any better. Fighting and killing were all that she had known, not morals. But there was a line that he had crossed, and nothing that anyone could ever say would allow him to go back. That was the sad truth.

"I can't rely on you." He found himself saying instinctively, "I can't rely on anyone to help me. My sins are mine alone to bear."

With that, Minato stood up suddenly and walked away, leaving a confused Benitsubasa sitting by herself.

* * *

He didn't know how long he walked, or how far. His mind was too occupied with countless thoughts that raced through his head, almost making his head explode with the amount of processes occurring at once.

"I need to clear my head." He whispered, shaking his head once to thoroughly do so. However, upon realizing that the action had done nothing but give him a slight sensation of whiplash, Minato stopped in his tracks and looked around at his surroundings to find that they were extremely familiar, and that there was a faint pounding of music.

Instinctively knowing the path to take, he followed the sound to its source, a nightclub that he had often swung by with Seo when he was still a bounty hunter. The loud music and bright lights were strangely soothing, as they rendered him incapable of thought, something that he really needed in this moment. He eased into a seat at the bar, not paying much heed to the other patrons, focused on the singular task of clearing his head.

"What'll you have?" The bartender asked, a happy smile on his face that instantly comforted Minato.

"Just give me a couple shots of your strongest stuff." Minato replied, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a shiny black card, "I have an MBI Card, so just put it on the tab."

"Sure thing!" The man said enthusiastically, pouring out a shot glass of a clear liquid with a powerful stench of alcohol that wafted straight into Minato's nose.

Without any sort of hesitation or inhibition, he snatched up the cup and poured the searing liquid down his throat, almost choking as he did so, with the alcohol immediately hitting him. Finding that the room already seemed brighter, he tapped the empty glass against the counter, informing the man that it needed to be refilled.

Upon receiving the next shot, he downed it with the same sense of fearlessness, the liquid going down far more easily this time as a sort of comfortable numbness settled over his senses.

Impatiently, he once again tapped his container against the counter and received yet another shot. The liquid no longer stung. Instead, it seemed to actually rejuvenate him, if anything. His vision faltered for a second, before it returned to normal, although he didn't really notice it in the haze of his inebriated state. The concerns that had been plaguing him just a few moments ago now seemed worlds away to him, something that could be dealt with later, or never. All that mattered right now is how good he felt, and how much he wanted to continue feeling this way.

His guilt, Takehito, the Sekirei Plan, even a certain pink haired Sekirei, they all meant nothing in that moment. He was too far gone to even realize that such thoughts had crossed his mind, which was getting clearer by the second.

"So, what do you think about the news about those Sekirei things? Do you think they actually exist?" The bartender asked, attempting to strike up conversation.

Minato placed his glass down with the grace that one would expect from a drunk before scratching and itch forming on his head, "Hm? Sekirei? What Sekirei?"

* * *

I** am planning to add one more Sekirei to this story, and so far, from all of your responses, I have to say that Uzume is currently the most likely. Can't say that I'm complaining since Uzume is one of my favorites anyways, and I think that she would perfect for the new Minato in my story, who, as you just saw, has serious problems that need someone to help fix, be it Benitsubasa or Uzume.**

**Also, from now on, the updates might be a bit erratic, as I'm working on two other stories that I recommend you guys check out, Orange and Of Queens and Emperors. They're really great for any Code Geass or Highschool DxD fans. Also, I have a Toradora story in flux right now, Grind. So any Ami x Ryuuji fans, I recommend that story as well, as I'm currently working on an extra chapter to come in a few weeks.**

**So, beyond that, please leave any and all thoughts in a review or PM! **


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